How to see this year's only supermoon on Sunday

If you miss this one, however, don't fret: The first two full moons of 2018 will be supermoons.

December's full moon - which is traditionally known as the Cold Moon - will appear in the sky 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than usual on Sunday (3).

The year's only visible supermoon (or perigee-syzygy, if you prefer the technical term) happens on December 3, meaning the Moon, which traces an elliptical orbit around the Earth, will come as close to us as it gets.

Still, don't sleep on the supermoon expected Sunday: It's the only one we'll see for all of 2017. Specially, NASA describes the occurrence as a new or full moon that occurs when the moon is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit. This is what makes the natural satellite appear bigger and brighter.

In New York City, it will rise on Sunday at 4:59 p.m. local time and set on Monday morning at 7:50 a.m. (Find your local time here.) The best time for viewing is right around moonrise and moonset, when it is sitting on the horizon. The moon will reach its perigee when it will be at a distance of 222,135 miles (357,492 kilometers) from earth on December 4 at 3:45 a.m. EST (0845 GMT, 2.15 IST). The best time to watch a supermoon is when it's low, near the horizon. The moon will be 16 percent more luminous and 7 percent bigger than it normally appears, National Geographic revealed.

To take a picture of the supermoon with a smartphone, tap on the moon on the screen and hold your finger in place to lock the camera's focus.

Bill Ingalls, a NASA photographer, says that those capturing the event through their smartphones have to focus on the correct light balance. "Then slide your finger up or down to darken or lighten the exposure".

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